Tales of the Last
by SuperMastour
Summary: With the rest of mankind gone after a cataclysmic event, Gwin and Irina become a literal Adam and Eve in a Mira that has been damaged beyond repair. Such loneliness is maddening, but this journey brings forth new tales. NEW STORY NUMBER 6 IS UP!
1. Introduction

**Tales of the Last**

 **INTRODUCTION**

* * *

Coarse.

Coarse sand covered the landscape and veiled it with a thick cloak of pain and dismay. The clouds occulted the night sky and the stars, the dust separated the far-off heavens from the lowly earth.

The wind picked up like a thousand stallions galloping towards a common goal, the sand churned and rose as the gusts took it upon their backs and brought it to the hills and valleys.

Out of this fury and calamity shined one light, a light that was struggling to reveal its existence to the world. This one light was a testament that despite these trying times, there was still something alive and surviving, a beacon of hope to whomever was stuck in this situation as well.

Hoarse.

Hoarse voices arose from the source of the light. Two shadowy figures tumbled about inside what appeared to be a makeshift tent.

A figure, strong and powerful, rose above the other in an act of domination. This went on until the dominant fell to the submissive, and the roles were reversed.

It took a few minutes for the two figures to subside, and the opening of the tent revealed one of the figures to be a male. A man, young looking yet with a vibe of experience, closed the flap when the sand poured in unannounced.

The second figure, a woman with frail appearance yet headstrong prowess, covered herself in order to shield against the grainy blocks of sediment.

"It's still not off, Irina..." the man muttered as he looked at her with concerned eyes, "We should have made our way back to the ruins..."

"We cannot anymore." the woman responded bluntly, "We have to wait until this sandstorm subsides..." she looked to the side, "But I doubt we needed to do what we did right now..."

"We're the last two humans left." Gwin stated, "If we're going to live on, we need-"

"I don't want to talk about this." Irina rolled over and covered herself, "If I conceive, let it be." she muttered, "One child... It will not bring everyone back..."

Gwin gave a great sigh, then looked at her.

"Irina, let me tell you a story..." he smiled and stroked her hair...


	2. Story 1

**Tales of the Last**

 **Story #1**

 **The Girl and the Coins**

* * *

"Don't be preposterous..." Irina scoffed, keeping her gaze diverted from Gwin and partly covered by her blanket, "You had your time with me, now you wish to read me a bedtime story?" she growled.

"Irina, it's just to help you." Gwin responded as he shook some sand off her covers, "Come o-"

"I don't need your help." Irina bluntly spoke, "But I see I've been more than enough help for you... So proud of yourself you tempted me to do this." she gnashed her teeth.

"I'm not proud- I just." Gwin took a deep breath, "You know what, whatever..." he shook his head, "I'm going to tell you this story no matter what." he sat perpendicular to her.

"Be assured I will not listen." Irina grunted as she covered her entire head under her sheets.

"I'm here to help you, Irina." Gwin mutttered, "Look..." he started to speak.

 **0000000**

A lowly girl was getting off a small transport ship, her raggedy clothes were the catch of the pedestrian eyes that were surrounding her.

"Irina, you're hom-"

 **0000000**

"So you're going to name a peasant after me?" Irina scowled as she shuffled angrily, "I thought you were trying to convince me to listen to this story."

"Irina, come on..." Gwin muttered, "It's an important life lesson. My mother told me this story before she... you know..." he gulped and looked up, "I'll just get on with it..."

 **0000000**

"Irina, you're home." a young woman with blond hair spoke to the little girl, "I'm sure you're tired from your trip." she smiled softly as she picked up the girl's tattered briefcases.

"Yeah..." Irina looked down to the ground, keeping her gaze away from connecting with any other human being, "Just... tired..."

"Well, I told mama I was going to take care of you, I meant it, ok?" the young woman patted the girl's right shoulder, "Now, come along."

The air was crisp and cold, the dead of winter was apparent in the small city. Light tufts of snow fell down like dead leaves and landed softly on the dark concrete that made up the city.

"I told mama that I was going to move to the big city." the young woman told Irina, "I told her that I was going to get rich and then I could buy her a ticket to take her to the stars." she smiled with aspiration, then exhaled the lost dreams out of her body.

Irina stayed quiet and lowly, her gaze was still cemented to the sidewalk underneath.

"Unfortunately, what the city gives, it takes away..." the young woman chuckled and coughed into a tissue, then quickly hid the paper inside her black coat. "So, what do you have it these?" she asked as she held the small briefcases with her left arm, "Doesn't feel too heavy."

"Nothing..." Irina mumbled and fickled with something in her pocket.

"Really now?" the young woman chuckled, "I don't believe mama would send you somewhere without anything to have." she muttered, then started to slow down, "Well, luckily for us, I live very close to this station."

The two females did a quick turn to the left, revealing a long row of lofts that were tattered and pretty beat up. The pedestrians in this air were dressed similar to them, in fact, they were very much akin to them.

Despite this, Irina had learned to settle down in these cramped quarters, in these places were only to most suffering of city dwellers would dare live. The days passed, the book of time flipped rapidly as the winter season came and left, allowing for the heavenly curtains to roll up and reveal spring as a new comer.

Irina did nothing but tend the house while her older sister was away, a supposedly meaningless and looked down upon job to her rowdy neighbors. In fact, perhaps her neighbors (which were all young adult males) did not find this very meaningless, since the labor of Irina was so meaningful to their little game of who can throw a beer bottle inside her residence.

Irina's older sister at times came very late into the night, sometimes not even. Irina would stay up in order to wait for her, but sometimes she couldn't.

Due to all this, one could say that if Fate was the dealer, Irina the player, and Life the game, Fate must have handed the poorest and most miserable hand in existence. For the player, this hand was only to get worse and worse.

It was now autumn again, and Irina sat down on the sofa waiting for her sister. The young girl thought about her mother as she pulled out a small sack from her pocket, a memento from her deceased caregiver. A quick opening revealed the sack contained small golden coins, a rare commodity in a world with superfluous technology and digital apparatuses. Irina was mystified greatly by the inscriptions on the metal, and was about to kiss one of them when the door opened.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do anything!" a man wearing a coat yelled at Irina's sister as the two stormed inside.

"Is it because I can't pay you anymore, you cretin!" the young woman shot back, "All you doctors do is take take and take!" she clenched her fists.

"Well if you want to be cured, either have the credits or find another doctor!" the man growled, "I hope you can... seeing you don't have much time." he scoffed, turned around, and slammed the door.

Irina stood speechless as she saw her sister slowly petrify, she witnessed the blood of the young woman leave her head first, then her neck until every visible part of her body was a ghostly pale.

"Doctor!" the young woman screamed and opened the door, "Doctor! Doctor!" she ran out calling out to the man while Irina stood dumbfounded by the events.

Moments later, the man and the woman returned, both with stern faces ready to combat.

"I told you, unless I see credits, I won't finalize your treatment." the man grumbled, "Meaning that you will have to return to the hospital for the rest of your life... and that way, you lose more money than you will lose today." he grunted as he stepped inside.

"Can't we work something out?" the young woman asked, "What you're asking for... It's all I have... I already lost my job getting treatment... please, can't you cut it?" she pleaded.

"No, I need to put bread on my table too." the man muttered, "It's either the amount I asked or no signature on your finalization documents." he threatened.

"I... I..." the young woman stammered, "Please... I can't afford it... My sister has joined me-"

"Well why don't you take your sister to the convent? Perhaps they can do the job you can't..." the man scoffed and extended his hand, "Money. Now."

Irina's sister sighed in defeat and walked her broken spirit to the kitchen, where the sound of a squeaky door was heard. Irina looked at the man, who looked at her back and shook his head in pity and tapped his foot on the floor.

"This is everything... all my savings... everything." Irina's sister came out of the kitchen with a large stack of plastic cards, "This should be enough to cover everything I owe you." she muttered and handed it to him.

"Hmph." the man snatched the card stack out of her hand, then scanned every last one of the plastic objects like a machine, "Well... you barely made it..." he chuckled, "Looks like you're free to be here... Thank you for your service." he chuckled and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Irina's sister looked blankly at the wooden portal, then fell to her knees and started to sob.

"Sister!" Irina ran to her side, "What's wrong-"

"Everything's wrong!" the young woman cried, "I've been sick for so long that I lost the only thing that provided for us! I was sapped of our money by that demon! I can't do anything now!" she cried and slammed the ground with her fist.

"Sister, please-"

"She can't do anything to help..." Irina's sister growled, "We lost Mama, her house, her everything to that thief! There's nothing left for us!"

"Sister..." Irina knelt next to her, "Why are you like this?" she reached in her pocket, "I lost mama and my home, I can't work, and the people here are really mean to me..." she muttered, "But even now, I am still happy because I can remember mama, and because I know I still live." she smiled, "Here..." she reached in her pocket and pulled out the small sack, "I want you to have this... It always reminds me of mama."

The young woman hesitantly grabbed the sack, then was surprised by what was inside.

"Irina, what is this?" Irina's sister asked as she opened the bag, "Is this-"

"I found it in one of mama's vases." Irina responded, "What is it?"

"This is... money..." Irina's sister muttered as she sifted the coins through her hand, "Irina... you know what this means? This money is worth a lot! We can get back in the black!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Irina asked in confusion.

"That means that we can help ourselves!" the young woman smiled, "Irina, with this money we can make everything up! This is our new hope!" she yelled and hugged the little girl.

The two embraced warmly...

 **0000000**

Gwin breathed in as he put on a shirt, then looked at Irina and wondered if she was asleep or awake. The man extended his arm, but quickly shot it back when he saw Irina move.

"Nice story..." Irina mumbled, "But it was lacking..." she commented.

"It's not about the amount of words, Irina." Gwin responded, "It's about the message conveyed." he explained.

"I like the message conveyed.." Irina scoffed, "Whatever goddamn seed you put inside me to conceive is a bunch of gold tokens- nice."

"Look!" Gwin yelled, now angered by Irina's attitude, "I know we lost it all, but that doesn't mean we have to stick with nothing! I'm trying to give us a new shot at life, but if you want to wallow in the past I must say that it is a very deep hole and its hard to get out of!"

"Oooh, you got a story for that too?" Irina taunted, "I'm tired from traveling... I'm going to rest." she said and cut her voice off.

"Fine..." Gwin groaned, "Just so you know... my world also ended that day 3 months ago." he commented and laid down, then turned off the lamp that illuminated their hovel.

* * *

 **SM'S Time:**

 **Well, this is new.  
This story, I hope, will be a good addition to the fanbase.  
If you all have read _Los Ejemplos del_ _Conde Lucanor_ or _1001 Arabian Nights_ , it will be in a similar format.  
However I must admit that this style is new to me, so it may take me some time to adjust, but I will get better at it, I guarantee!**

 **I truly hope you enjoy this, and have a blessed day!  
Stay tuned for an extra chapter tomorrow.**

 **THIS STORY HAS THE SUPERMASTOUR GUARANTEE OF SPOILS SYSTEM FREE!**


	3. Story 2

**Tales of the Last**

 **Story #2**

" **The Caliph Who Wanted Everything"**

* * *

Gwin capitulated to the sun's rays, causing him to lay down on a smooth stone that was exposed above the baked sands. However, the humiliation was not involuntary, but rather willing and purposely done for another task.

Taking out his rusty assault rifle, the man placed his weapon parallel to the stone and peered down its tiny iron sights.

Dead ahead was an Evello, a large ostrich like bird the size of a forklift. The creature was looking for meager sustanence on the desert sands, completely unaware it was being observed.

Gwin breathed in deep, then aimed the rifle at the bird's large head, and finally connected his composure...

000000

"Hmph! Hrph!" Gwin groaned as he dragged a large thigh down a sandy hill.

Ahead of him lay a simple campsite made out of what appeared to be a run-down Pathfinder base camp. A broken car, several destroyed helicopters, two completely destroyed Skells (so destroyed, in fact, that if it weren't for the charred heads standing out, one could label them as unrecognizable heaps of steel), and charred sand.

"Let's see..." Gwin muttered as he stopped dragging the large hunk of meat and walked inside the base camp room.

The man took of his darkened goggles and inspected the dusty and rusty interior. A busted bed lay ahead of him, and various broken desks were scattered about, signaling something disastrous had overtaken the previous inhabitants.

"Son of a-" Gwin snarled as he took of the bandanna covering his mouth, then spotted the empty sleeping bags ahead of him.

The man looked around the small room, then walked back outside, only to see a trail of sand rising up in the distance.

"Don't tell me-"

At the head of trail stood the flagship, a hovercycle riding down an abandoned road, screaming past the silent desert at a high speed. The vehicle headed toward the camp at an ever increasing rate, only slowing down when speeding up was no longer a safe alternative.

Gwin saw the hovercycle did a turn and stopped right in front of him, then descended to the ground as it was turned off. The engines hissed and the driver stepped down, which with a quick revel of both body structure and successive removal of her helmet proved to be Irina.

"Oh." Irina blurted as she saw Gwin, "You're... back."

"Uh huh." Gwin nodded, "It seems you are too." he looked at the bike, "Irina-"

"I was just testing if it still works." Irina interrupted, "You can't leave these things laying down to rust over!"

"We rode it this morning." Gwin muttered, "What were you doing anyways!?" he scolded her, "I told you we need to conserve the energy cell or we'll be stuck on the back of a Potamus for the rest of our days!" he rubbed his temples in frustration.

"You need to relax, ok?" Irina shot back, "I was starving- because of the baby you put in me- and you were taking too long." she walked to the back of the cycle, where three Forfex legs were strapped to the chassis.

"That doesn't mean you have to- You know what?" Gwin stopped, "Forget it, I'm not gonna win this. I hope you enjoy your food." he grunted and turned around in order to walk inside the building.

"What is wrong with you?!" Irina yelled, "Impregnate me and just walk away-"

"Hey!" Gwin turned around in rage, "Don't you say that! Our future child is not the problem here, it's you!" he stated, "It's your sense of entitlement that since everyone is gone, you can do what you want! You keep endangering not only yourself, but me, the child, and everything that is able to keep us alive!"

"I was just famished, ok?" Irina defended her actions, "Look, I'm not trying to cause any problems."

"Huh..." Gwin sighed and shook his head, "Just... promise to be more careful next time..." he muttered and looked up, "Your stomach shouldn't be your end. This reminds me..."

"Another story?" Irina chuckled, "Wow, you cheered up real fast..." she commented as she untied the Forfex legs...

 **0000000**

A long time ago was a country named Islamistan.

 **0000000**

"That's racist." Irina spoke, "Ding."

"You can't place sins on stories, Irina." Gwin sighed, "Only on movies and cinema. Anywho..." he continued.

 **0000000**

In the country of Islamistan lived a rich and powerful Caliph called Serezzan Al-Fudlan, he was so rich, in fact, that he is said to have all his untensils in gold and all his sheets in fine silk.

Great was Serezzan that all the nations that bordered him came to pay tribute with their most precious of resources in fear that they would be invaded by his powerful army if they did not do so.

Serezzan's palace was the envy of the land of Orientalis, and many people from all over the known world came to see the large columns of jade and marble, arches of onyx and gneiss. A huge garden lay in the middle of his palace that contained a plethora of wild beasts and a whole collection of precious birds of paradise. A beautiful spring flowed down in this garden, bring crystal clear water to the abundance of flowers and plants inside.

The Caliph's Court was a marvel, too, with floor lined with polished granite. Large stone pillars with everflames stood across the entire length of the court, and at the end, on a throne made of gold and laden with every form of precious stone, sat the Caliph himself.

One day, it was reported to Serezzan that his army had conquered a distant nation and had made it his tributary. The newbearer to the Caliph stepped in with some of the expeditionary generals of the conflict.

"Great Serezzan, Ruler of Islamistan and all Her Holdings." the newsbearer spoke with exaltation, "Your humble generals bring news of their conquests in the far and distant East, beyond the land of the Arindians and the great foreboding mountains of the Casvas."

"Great Caliph!" one of the generals spoke, raising his sword in reverence, "We have traveled to the lands of Orientalis Incognita and subdeud the leader of that country, called a Shogun." he informed, "This is a sign of his allegiance to the Great Ruler of Rulers." he pulled out a long and slender sword.

"Orientalis Incognita." Serezzan spoke,"Tell me, what is this new addition to my Empire like?" he asked the general.

"It is a small island off the coast of Arindia." the general informed, "It is surrounded by large hills and thick forests, but all the people live on the calm coasts. About the people, their women are beautiful, some even rival the ones in your court, but all its men are warriors." he said.

"Perhaps you have brought me something else from this... island." Serezzan said as he looked at the sword with such fascination.

"Aye, sir." a soldier came up and pulled out a box, opening it before the ruler, "This is tea and spices." he bowed as he walked close to the Caliph, being closely scrutinized by the guards.

The Caliph gestured to one of his guards, who got the box and brought it to him, "These... smell wonderful... Incredible!" he was about to ask about more about this land when another newbearer walked in.

"Oh Serezzan the Great!" the newsbearer bowed down, "The King of the western nation of Lissinia pledge his allegiance to you with the nation's new tribute!" he proclaimed and stepped aside for the representatives of Lissinia.

"May the Heavens above bless Serezzan, Caliph of the World." the Lissinian ambassador spoke, "we bring you the newest items from our fair nation in order to please you and your jizya." he pointed to the caravan of servants carrying new and mysterious things.

"What in the world..." Serezzan was so taken back by this new caravan he failed to spot another newsbearer and another caravan of stufts.

"If I may inform your highness." one of the advisors near his throne called out to the ruler, "This month is the month in which all your tributaries pay their due and their jizyas."

"But this month is my most favorite month of all time..." Serezzan was inspecting all his goods, his tall and foreboding figure checking every single last item. "You, what is this?" he asked a Lissinian man in the convoy.

"It's called a clock, Your Majesty." the man bowed as he showed him the item, "It tells the time of the day... Our King Edward had it especially handcrafted for the time of Islamistan." he showed the numerals on the face of the device.

"Incredible..." the Caliph looked at the clock, then saw a creature he had never seen before, "General Ibn Ad-Fudlan! What is this beautiful creature?" he ran up to a wooden cage.

"The people of Orientalis Incognita call it a Jasmine Stork." the general informed as the two looked at the bright white and yellow bird, "They say only a Ruler chosen by the Heavens can own such a magnificent bird."

"It's amazing..." Serezzan muttered as he touched the lush plumage, then saw another item through the bars. The Caliph, donned in heavy royal wear, ran to the next convoy, "What are these beautiful stones!?" he asked the men attending the box of luxurious gems.

"These are called rubies." one of the men spoke and held up a bright red rock, "And these are called the King's Stones. In our native land, they are also known as Diamonds, which means 'Empress's Glory'."

"I... I..." Serezzan looked at the 'diamonds', then looked at the Empress, who sat next to his throne, "I will make you the most coveted woman in the entire world!" he called to his wife.

At this point, his wife also became mystified by the artifacts and ran to his side, "Wow... You must get me a whole horde of these, husband!" she sifted the few diamonds in her hands.

Serezzan looked at his wife, then at his generals, then at the convoy, then finally at this throne. "Scribes, write this down!" he said in a booming voice, "This is a Royal Edict! On this day, I, Caliph Serezzan Al-Fudlan, command that each nation, every day, bring me an item from their lands! I wish to have any and everything new and intriguing they find!" he ordered.

"Sir!" General Ibn spoke, "That will cause rancor to rise up with our subjects, we'll strip them of their resources!"

"We have the army!" Calip Serezzan laughed, "You can always purge dissidents... but the wonder of getting something new... will never be purged." he held a large pink diamond up to the sky, "Do it! Send the decree to all my dominion! Islamistan's court will have the world in its walls!" he proclaimed to his entire court.

So the decree was written and sent out to every corner of the known world (since Islamistan was that large). Every tongue, tribe, and nation received the command from their ruler, the Great Caliph of Islamistan, owner of Ortientalis.

So the days passed, and the decree was followed every day- that was, until the fifth month of the third year since the decree was passed, or in the tenth year of his reign.

The nations that were tributaries to Islamistan had run out of the precious commodities that they had such strenuously exported to the benefit of the Caliph's Palaces and cities. With a lack of resources to keep themselves operating, one by one, the one's farthest to the Islamistan first, started to revolt. Caliph Serezzan responded with military action and was at first successful, but with each new nation becoming a burden, the army was strained.

The might of Islamistan came to a breaking point, and a united coalition made by the Western kings brought the war to the Caliph's Court.

"Sir!" General Ibn spoke, "The Holy League... Hannibell is at the Gates!" he yelled with fear and was completely distraught.

"Stop them at all costs!" Caliph Serezzan spoke as he was being transported by a group of guards, "They cannot get my riches and wealth!" he ran off.

"Sir! But the men!" General Ibn stopped yelling when the Caliph exited the court, "Ugh... I guess we fight... to the end." he raised his sword and ran back outside.

With his wife, his loyal guards, and his body, Caliph Serezzan ran to the safety of the garden, and the comfort of his royal treasury that was found next to it.

"Shouldn't we escape before the infidels get to us!?" the empress spoke as the group stood in the garden, "My dear husband, they will tear us limb to limb and all you want to do is stay here!" she yelled.

"Here is where everything I desired, desire, and will desire is..." Serezzan spoke as he looked at the garden, then at the large iron doors that led to his treasury, "I will stay here..."

Suddenly, a large flaming stone, hurled from a catapult, crashed into the garden, causing the foliage to erupt in flames. The panic arose between the animals, birds flew off, beasts ran in chaos, and the eventual danger triggered the same thing in the people.

"We have to go, sire!" one of the guards said as the flames rose, "Sire! Sire!" he called out to the ruler, who was walking slowly to the large vault doors.

"Leave him!" the empress said, "Let's go! Our minds are cleansed of vanity!" she yelled and gathered all the guards, then left.

"My everything..." Caliph Serezzan spoke as he opened the doors of the treasury, "I shall see you at last, after hiding you for all these year-"

When the doors opened, they gave in to the violent wave of gold and precious metal that wanted to be freed. All the heavy metals poured out as if they were melted, and they soon engulfed the Caliph as the flames consumed them all.

 **0000000**

"And that's the story of Caliph Serezzenar." Gwin spoke as he pushed his plate away, "Wow... those Forfex legs are... incredible."

"I may not act very lady-like in some areas. But I can cook." Irina responded, "Plus, these Forfex legs are from... the East." she gave him a coy look.

"Ha ha..." Gwin rolled his eyes, "No wonder they taste so burnt- OW!" he yelped when Irina kicked him in the shin.

* * *

 **SM's Time-**

 **I hope you have enjoyed, please stay tuned!**

 **Gwin's stories are vast and infinite, as is his wisdom and his ability to be a smart-aleck.**

 **Please Review and have a blessed day!**


	4. Story 3

**Tales of the Last**

 **Story #3**

 **The Story of the Sun and the Moon**

* * *

The flaming sun struck a devastated Oblivia with a blight of radiation, so much that even the sand was becoming burnt and baked. Whatever indigens that were out in the open were in serious danger of overheating, or basically any living thing that ventured forth was going to be affected by this inhospitable environment.

However, two beings were outside, and living it.

The holocycle of Gwin and Irina roared down the cracked roads that had been a former pathway in the times when there were more than two people on the planet. Screaming past waves of sand and rock, the vehicle went its way down the only major road in Oblivia left.

"Faster!" Irina, who was sitting behind Gwin on the cycle, tapped his shoulder, "Let's rip the sandy sea, baby!" she cheered.

"I can't go any faster... It's a domestic." Gwin joked, causing the two of them to laugh, "Alright! Here we go!" he yelled and revved up the speed, causing the holocycle to roar down the road, scaring a nearby pack of Blattas that were sunbathing on a nearby rock.

"Woo hoo!" Irina exclaimed as she gained a surge of adrenaline from the great increase of acceleration, "Yeah!" she raised her hands up in the air.

"You like it when I'm fast, don't you?" Gwin said coyly, then stopped when the control panel beeped.

ENERGY CELL LEVEL- 20.00

TIME UNTIL DEPLETION- 15 MINUTES

"Uh oh." the man muttered as he started to slow down, then spotted an abandoned shack on the side of the road dead ahead.

"Huh?" Irina noticed they were slowing down, "Gwin, what's going on?" she asked him.

"We need to charge the Holocycle." Gwin responded as he drove off the road and next to the shack.

Klunk! The Holocycle fell to the ground when it was turned off by Gwin, the two riders got off soon after.

"Ah..." Irina sighed in relief as she moved her bandanna down to reveal her lower face, "It feels good to walk again." she stretched.

"We need to be more mindful of our cycle." Gwin muttered as he extended a large solar panel located at the side of the holocylce, "At this rate of enjoyment, we'll wear out our ride in months."

"Live life a little, will you?" Irina said as she saw the man inspect every last inch of the bike, "You'll wear yourself in months." she joked and looked at the shack.

"What is this place anyways?" Gwin turned around to look at the building.

"It seems to be a pit stop." Irina looked at the structure, "Or at least was... Hey! Perhaps we'll find spare parts!" she informed.

"You're right." Gwin nodded, "That will be incredibly useful now." he said, and the two walked inside.

0000000

The shack was run down, the wind and the sand taking its toll on the once lively interior. The counter was still standing, but the same could not be said for the aisles, which were thrown about as if a storm happened in there.

"Doesn't seem to be anything here..." Gwin muttered as he kicked an empty can of oil aside, "Wow, this is all..."

"Crap." Irina interrupted.

"I wouldn't say that, but this is pretty useless stuff." Gwin chuckled.

"No, really!" Irina called out to him, "Crap!" she explained and pointed to behind the counter.

"What are you-" Gwin peered over the counter to see a mound of feces laying there, variations of fungi already taking root on it. "I don't know what I expect..." Gwin shook his head.

"It seems we aren't the only living things that visited here." Irina muttered as she turned around, "Well, if there's nothing here... I guess we could relax a bit? I'm starving." she notified as she looked outside the broken window, "There's a nice patio outside, maybe we could eat there?" she turned around to ask.

"Sure wh-" Gwin froze in place and glared at Irina.

"Gwin?" Irina looked at him, "What's wrong?" she asked, unaware of what appeared behind her.

"Irina... duck..." Gwin muttered as he reached for his pistol, looking at a large Grex that was staring at Irina's back, "NOW!"

"Hu- AH!" Irina screamed and fell to the ground, while Gwin brandished his pistol and fired at the indigen.

"GRAA!" the Grex growled in pain as the bullets struck its forehead, "RAAA!" it bellowed and crashed into the building.

"Irina!" Gwin ran to pick her up, "Go! Go!' he continued firing at the creature as he helped Irina up.

"SHRAA!" the Grex whipped its tail, knocking Gwin out of the shack and back outside.

"You bastard!" Irina growled and equipped her assault rifle, firing it straight into the creature's flanks.

"BRAA!" The Grex fumbled about and lost balance, as well as blood, "SHA!" it launched its tail, the razor tip barely missing Irina's head and ended up getting stuck in the wall.

"Ah... Ah..." Irina stammered as she looked at the close proximity of the large tail.

"HRAH!" Gwin jumped back in and cleaved the Grex with his longsword, fatally striking the neck area.

The Grex went limp and finally expired, the purple blood spilling into the ground and into the man's large black sword.

"Ha... ha... ha..." Gwin panted as he withdrew his weapon, "Well... it looks like it's lunch time." he joked and looked at the carcass.

"How- How are you not even shaken!?" Irina yelled, "You almost lost your life! Why are you so happy!?" she walked up to him.

"Because, Irina... this is our life now." Gwin explained as he started to chop up a piece of Grex flank with a knife, "There's nothing to do but to accept it... really, it becomes funnier after that." he chuckled.

"But this-"

"Look..." Gwin sighed and looked at Irina, "There's nothing wrong with being worried... in fact... I was very worried." he muttered and touched her belly, "For two reasons to be truthful." he smiled, "But we accept the fact that this is life for us... Let me tell you a story."

 **0000000**

A long time ago, when the Earth was still relatively young and so were its people, the Sun and the Moon were in love. It was in those days that all three shared the day sky with each other-

 **0000000**

"Wow, this isn't very scientific." Irina interrupted and helped Gwin take out a piece of Grex loin.

"This is an old Amerindian Myth." Gwin muttered, "If this was the traditional atheistic humanistic naturalistic inspiration, it will fit in with the dogma of this game. If this was the traditional creationistic explanation, boy would I be lynched and sued by a 'concerned taxpayer'." he joked and made quotations with his fingers.

"Uh... Just go on." Irina muttered.

 **0000000**

Since the Earth and the Sun, the first things in existence, were brothers, this greatly troubled the Earth, since giving his daughter would greatly empower the Sun and the rest of the cosmos would believe that that brother had power over the other.

It was around that time that all the stars in the heavens came to join up and speak to each other, meaning the Earth was left out of this meeting.

This meeting came when the night is the longest, since it was when the stars can talk amongst themselves the most, and the day that the Sun will be farthest away from his brother.

At this meeting, the Sun, firstborn out of all the stars, proclaimed to his cousins, "I am in love with the daughter of my brother, the most beautiful body in the heavens, the Moon. I plan to wed her when I see her again.

The other stars rejoiced, glad that their oldest member had found a suitable and very beautiful partner- plus, many of the stars already knew that the Moon and the Sun were in love.

This trouble one star, that was, the bright white star named Naaku. Naaku was a close friend to the Earth, and the two were about as close as brothers. Naaku kept in mind about the boastings of the Sun, the latter stating that he will wed the Moon behind his brother's back.

When the day finally appeared, the Sun and the Moon and the Earth were once again joined.

The Sun, noting the Earth was in his presence, abstained from marrying the Moon until tomorrow. However, as he waited for the night to end, he started feeling upset about the act he was about to perform- marrying the Moon behind his brother's back.

It was around this time that Naaku, the great white star, came to the Earth, waking him up.

"Earth." Naaku told his cousin, "Earth, I have some dire news." he looked to his left and looked to his right, the Moon was nowhere to be found.

"What is it, Naaku?" Earth asked, concerned with his seriousness.

"I've come to warn you." Naaku spoke, "In the meeting of all the stars, your brother The Sun told all of us that he was going to marry your daughter without your consent." he informed, "He said when you are not there, he will marry her."

"That is terrible news..." the Earth spoke, "The day were the moon goes dark and meets the sun on the other side approaches... thank you Naaku." he muttered, "As my greatest friend, you will have a prominent spot in my sight." he told him.

Thus, Naaku, the Earth's friend, was placed in a spot where he would never move. Naaku was placed in the north, were he guides men to the north and is never moved from the Earth's gaze during the whole night.

The day came, and the Earth, Moon, and the Sun were reunited once again.

"Sun... why do you plan to betray me?" The Earth told his brother, "Why do you betray your own kin by trying to wed my daughter without my knowing?"

"Brother... I." The Sun felt guilty, "I'm sorry... I was just so in love with her."

"You will not see my daughter again..." The Earth spoke, "I will shield her from you, but since you are my brother, I will allow you to see her." he said, "Moon, come." he said, and the Moon came.

The Sun saw as the Moon was moved into the territory of the night, "Moon! I love you!" he cried and tried his best to reach her, but he could not enter the territory of night without his brother's permission. "Brother.. please."

"I will allow you to see her." the Earth repeated, "I will allow some of your light to shine on her."

"Thank you, brother." The Sun muttered and extended his light, then saw the love of his life in the night territory.

And thus, as separated lovers, the Sun was destined to stay in the territory of day, while his love was in destined to stay in the territory of night- this helped people live comfortably all throughout the Earth...

 **0000000**

"That was kinda cute..." Irina spoke as the two shared a gentle breeze outside, "Gwin, where do you get all these-" she stopped when she heard some soft breathing.

Gwin was fast asleep on the picnic mat, soundly cradled by the sand under him.

"Oh you..." Irina softly chuckled, "I really hope you don't end up like him." she said to her unborn child, the looked off into the distance.

* * *

 **SM's Time:**

 **Disclaimer, this isn't a true Amerindian myth, I made it up in the shower. Anywho...**  
 **Well, there's nothing much.**

 **In response to AireDrew: I must admit your review made me chuckle, but on a serious note. The Calamity will be explained as the adventure progresses.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **P.S- Hope you all like the cover art! I made it myself!**


	5. Story 4

**Tales of the Last**

 **Story #4**

 **A Dog A Panic in a Pagoda**

* * *

Both Gwin and Irina were sound asleep inside an abandoned building, curled up together under a gray blanket.

Their weapons were laying nearby, and the holocycle was parked outside in an accessible area just in case of a quick escape.

However, Gwin woke up, as did Irina, who had sensed her partner had awoken.

Gwin had noticed this and grinned coyly as he stroked her hair.

"Don't nod..." Irina growled, sensing his surreptitious motives.

"Madam... In Eden I'm Adam." Gwin moved his eyebrows and grabbed her chin.

"Ok, Stop." Irina sat up, "I'm really not feeling it today."

"Well I am." Gwin chuckled, "I'm really feeling it!" he laughed and patted her back, then massaged her shoulders.

"Ooh..." Irina smiled as she was relieved of the stress her muscles were storing, then turned back to Gwin, "Ah... Satan sees Natasha." she growled with a grin.

"No devil lived on." Gwin muttered, "And I would really like to live on for you." he grinned and came in close.

"Gwin!" Irina laughed as she felt his warm hands on his neck, "Ooh! So fidg-"

KLANK! The clatter of metal was heard outside, startling the two humans.

"What the-" Gwin growled as he shot up and grabbed his rifle, then ran outside, only to see that it was a nearby Aprica that managed to stifle the holocycle while it was grazing.

"What is it?" Irina appeared, holding a pistol, then looked at the Aprica slowly move on.

"False alarm..." Gwin sighed as he saw the Aprica mind its own business, "Huh... funny how things always go against my favor." he chuckled and turned to Irina.

"You almost got me, but now I'm really tired." Irina muttered and looked to the moon in the horizon, "Huh... It must be such a sad life when every sound that echoes scares you senseless." she grumbled and looked at her pistol.

"Irina, no one said life was going to be guaranteed normal." Gwin told her, "Plus, a little chaos now and then is always fun!" he chuckled, "Speaking of chaos, how about you and I make a little chaos in be- DAH!" he was elbowed in the stomach.

"I told you I'm tired!" Irina shook her fist, "Sheesh... I have to drive it into your brain now! You think your life is all about continuing the species now!" she crossed her arms.

"As I said, a little chaos always makes it fun." Gwin did a little dance, "In fact, let me tell you a zany little tale I heard from Lao." he chuckled.

 **0000000**

There was once a little monk who lived secluded by himself in the foothills of Tibet, a short man with no hair and a bright brown cloak.

Being secluded from society, he did not usually interact with people, except those who came to pray or come bring him necessary supplies.

The companions he did have, however, were a small black and white cat and a medium sized black and white dog, as well as a black and white mouse. This small "family" was peaceful without the intrusion of constant guests, and they enjoyed a graceful life under the snow of the large mountains ahead of them.

It was one winter, when all five of the living things were huddled in for the harsh season, when these events happened.

It was always the tradition of the old monk to bless the land before he settled in for the winter, so he opened up the windows on the top floor and started to chant. Once he finished his chant, he saw a flock of birds flying high above them, probably escaping the pain of winter.

"Do Geese see God?" the old monk asked his dog, who lifted its head in curiosity and also saw the flying birds in the sky.

"I'm a fool, aloof am I." the monk chuckled as he closed the windows and laid down on his bed and fell asleep.

However, when he had closed the door, a small snowflake managed to sneak inside the building and float down, staying in the air until the monk fell asleep. When the monk was asleep, the snowflake, as if it had a malicious purpose, finally swooped down on to the sleeping cat.

The cat, being struck by a sudden surge of cold, jumped up in shock and fell off the counter, landing on the dog with its unsheathed claws under it.

"PAP!" the dog yelped and jumped up in pain, then turned to the startled cat, who was still hissing in discomfort.

"HRARH!" the old monk snored loudly and became completely oblivious to the growls of the dog.

"GRARG!" the dog snarled at the cat, then barked and headbutted it.

"RWAWR!" the cat screeched when it was struck, then tried to slash the dog with its claw, barely missing but getting a few hairs as trophies.

"GRARG!" the dog snarled and charged to bite the cat, driving her into the cupboard.

"RWAWR! RWAR!" the cat screeched and clawed the dog as she kept being rammed into the desk, "REER!" she managed to escape, causing the dog to hit the cupboard at full strength.

"PAP!" the dog yelped when he struck the hard wooden structure, causing it to shake and making an object fall down.

This object was the mouse cage, which, being just simple twigs tied together, snapped when it struck the ground.

"Meem." the mouse chirped when it exited the cage, then sniffed the air.

"Raar..." the cat muttered lowly when she spotted the mouse, then got into a pouncing stance, "RWAWR!" she pounced.

"PIP!" the mouse squeaked and ran to avoid it, causing the cat to pile drive into the ground and crash into the dog.

"Pipipipip!" the mouse squeaked tauntingly and ran off downstairs.

"Rweewr..." the cat grumbled as she chased after the mouse.

"RAR!" the dog barked as he chased after the cat.

0000000

"PIP!" the mouse squeaked when it avoided the cat, slipping through a chair.

"Rweewr!" the cat screeched when it struck the chair, causing it to fall over.

"RAR!" the dog jumped over the fallen chair, but outran his target, landing close to the mouse. Although the canine paid a few seconds of focus on the rodent, he soon turned his head back to rising cat.

"RWAR!" the cat pounced, but on the dog, causing the two to fly back and hit a small table overturning it and making the porcelain tea cup on it fall and break into pieces.

"Piiip!" the mouse avoided most of the shards, but was struck by one in the head and sent scattering.

"Rer!" the cat regained posture and chased after the mouse.

"FAF!" the dog barked and chased the cat, causing the chase to continue.

The mouse zigzagged across the wooden floor with the cat tagging close behind, and the dog lumbering at the back. The three appeared to be like the wild wind, going wherever they please without a care or precaution about what they will pass through.

"RAR!" the dog manage to bite the cat's tail, causing the cat to jolt and scratch the mouse and thus causing the rodent to speed up even more.

In the sudden burst of speed, the mouse ran around a marble pedestal, which was quickly avoided by the cat but not so much by the heavy dog, who crashed into it and made the jade vase on it fall.

CRASH! The vase shattered, scaring the mouse and sending it into another direction.

"RWEEWR!" the cat screeched and tried to take out its claws in order to slow down, only to topple another marble pedestal and causing the flower vase on top to collapse.

"Pipipip!" the mouse squeaked victoriously, but then noticed the cat recover and then ran towards the wall, stopping when it reached the stopping point.

"Reer.." the cat meowed evilly as she saw the mouse had no escape, then got into a pouncing position.

"Kekekeke!" the mouse squeaked frantically as it tried to escape, then closed its eyes and waited for the worse.

"Mre... RWEWR!" the cat screeched in pain when the dog bit her in the hind, then pounced on the curtains involuntarily.

The curtains, not being able to support this new weight, fell, the stick holding them up snapped and hit a metal rack.

This metal rack held a torch, which, when it was struck, fell down and set the wooden ground ablaze.

"RAR!" the dog barked, "Rar! Rar!"

"Mweewr!" The cat meowed fearfully, then saw as the mouse ran to them in fright.

"Faf! Faf! Faf!" the dog barked, and the three ran upstairs.

0000000

"Evil... a sin... is alive." the monk, who was now awake and safely outside the burning pagoda, sighed as he saw his home burn up.

The dog, the cat, and the mouse looked down in shame about what they helped cause.

However, the monk chuckled, shocking the three creatures greatly.

"Live not on evil." the monk turned to the creatures, forgave them, then blessed them. Then looked at the new possibilities they could all have now that their secluded home was gone.

 **0000000**

"That was a pointless story." Irina muttered as she looked up to the starry night.

"It wasn't pointless." Gwin responded, "It's the most didactic story a drunk person can make." he chuckled and sat next to Irina.

"Well I didn't get anything out of it." Irina scoffed at the idea of it being a teaching tool, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep." she sighed and walked inside...

* * *

 **SM's Time-**

 **I hope you enjoyed this quirky little story.**

 **In response to Cormag Ravenstaff (Lvl. 90 Dark Mage with the Archaic Elder Wand and Seal of Elven Protection)- Yes, I do come up with these during random times... though some are inspired by other stories I have read.**

 **In response to darkshockwave78- Thanks, I hope the sin count isn't too high now!**

 **I have started on another coverart which will probably be up with story 10.**

 **Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!**


	6. Story 5

**Tales of the Last**

 **Story #5**

 **Story for the life  
(For Irina)**

* * *

Gwin and Irina looked at the setting Oblivian sun in the horizon, which was leaving a beautiful maroon sky in its wake- or rest if one was to be more accurate.

"3 Months." Irina muttered as she looked at her enlarged belly, then smiled softly, "I'm... going to be a mother." she sighed and looked at Gwin.

"And I'll be a father." Gwin chuckled and breathed in deep, "Irina... I just want to thank you... for giving me this chan-"

"Save it for later." Irina mumbled and held his hand, "He's still not born yet." she laughed and looked back at the darkening horizon.

"I had a dream, Irina." Gwin told her, "You may find it silly, but I think it was powerful." he raised her hand up to the twilight sky, "A voice told me... that even though we are the last humans in the entire Universe... Our descendants will be as numerous as the stars." he looked at the twinkling lights above them.

"Haha." Irina chuckled softly, "Gwin, you're so hopeful... I wish I had that about me." she sighed and then looked at him.

"You have so much more than I do, Irina." Gwin spoke and stood up, facing her, "You're strong, you're so... strong." he got on his knee, "If you weren't here... If I was the only one left... I would have ended myself a long time ago."

"Gwin, stop it." Irina became flustered, "I... I... appreciate your company as well." she smiled.

"I wish we could get married or something, but what's that now that we're the only ones left?" Gwin chuckled as he stood up, "But I don't need that to show how much I love you." he sat next to her.

"Gwin." Irina breathed in deep and placed her head on his shoulder, "Just being here with you is enough." she looked at the horizon, and the sun that was giving its final lights.

"Irina, I will always defend you." Gwin spoke, "You are my life. I can't see myself outside of you." he held her hand tight, as if not wanting her to depart from her.

"I'm sorry..." Irina mumbled, catching Gwin by surprise.

"Huh?" the man turned, "Why are you apologizing?" he asked with concern.

"Because for the most part I've only thought of myself." Irina muttered, "Even when I carried our child, it was all me. It was just me trying to seek revenge on those who destroyed our friends and people." she tightened her grip on him, "I was so caught up in this crusade that I forgot that it was all for naught. I can't bring anyone back... But I can keep what I have from falling to the same fate." she looked at him, "Forgive me, Gwin... for being so selfish with my life."

"Irina, there's no need for you to apologize!" Gwin told her, "There's nothing wrong! I was the same way! I guess I just found out earlier." he rubbed the back of his head, "You could say..." he turned red and gulped hard, "Irina, I love you so much, I would forgive anything you do, even if it affected my life."

"Gwin!" Irina gasped, "I-I-"

"No need to say anything!" Gwin said and pulled out a sheet of paper, "You know all those stories I've told you? Well... You could say I got inspired..." he unraveled the paper, revealing writing, "And my only subject matter that truly matters to me... is you." he said and looked at the words.

"Gwin..." Irina saw as the man knelt in front of her again, this time looking at the paper.

"Irina..." Gwin looked at her tender eyes, then cleared his throat.

 **0000000**

[ _Scribe's Note: To the reader. Due to the original document being lost, this account relies heavily on the testimony of the son. Scholars debate the actual words our ancestors shared but they say with much confidence that this is without a doubt 95% Accurate_ ]

A man lost with the wind, a reckless ghost tumbling wildly in the gales was I.

Seeking, Searching, Knocking

Knocking, Seeking, Searching

A vain collection of shadows and dust was I, in a world of shadows and the dust.

A stranger in a strange land.

A man with no knowledge, mind empty as a stone.  
I had no concept, not one thought that could keep me tied.

I was a thought, a tangled mess of ideas that were tossed about.

A world of lost souls, of eternal lament.

A world of perished dreams, of ruined hopes.

Could one find the key to life? Could one lock the gates of death?  
A man followed by death in a world of death.

However, a shine of life came.

A beacon of hope, a sign of light.

Were you, my love, you were the key.

You were the key to life.

For only a woman could hold the life of a forlorn world and heart.

Only she could hold the hope of a perished race and dream.

Only she could hold the love of a man and child.

A humble man, bent on fighting and destruction, could not do such things.

For only man could hold the death of a world and heart in his hands.

Only he could hold the hate of a perished race and people in his heart.

Only he could hold the discord of a warrior and soldier.

But Woman, but Irina, but Life.  
Life heals, Irina loves, and Woman hopes.

A Man, Gwin, and Death go hand in hand.

For Death destroys, Gwin fights, and Man hates.

Irina, a life, a love... a woman.

A breath of relief to my barren heart.

A counsel to my broken body.

A hope to my scarred mind.

Life is in you, my Irina.

In your eyes, the your eyes of a caregiver.  
In your chest, the chest of a mother.

In your womb, the one of a new start.

Love is in you, my Irina.

Your lips are like a well in the desert, they bring relief to me in the hell.

Your hands are like a lifeline, may I never lose hold of them.

Your heart is like... There are no words to describe it.

If I could tear down the galaxies to look for letters, they would not be enough.  
If I could talk to all the beings in the universe for vocabulary, they would not know enough.

None of these things will give me the amount to describe your love, much less the effects of it.

Hope is in you, my Irina.

Vessel of the human race.  
Worthy carrier of the new life.  
I may have been the Revelation, but you are the Genesis.

I may have dealt death, but you are giving life.

Irina. Irina. Irina.

Gwin. Gwin. Gwin.  
Two lovers, but one soul.  
We may have our differences, but at the end we are still one.

There may not be time or words to describe all I feel for you.

But let this be clear.

You are the reason for everything I was, I am, and I will ever be.

My Life.  
My Hope.  
My Love.

My Irina.

I am your Gwin.

 **0000000**

Gwin and Irina lay inside a building, covered from the cold weather outside by both the structure and their blanket.

"Gwin..." Irina covered her body with the blanket, the grabbed his hand and placed it closed to her heart.

"I feel... happy." Gwin said, keeping his gaze up to the sky, which he could see due to a hole in the ceiling where he was, "I may have lost most... but I have gained much more. And am about to gain the most." he looked at her, at her gray eyes.

These were no longer the apathetic eyes of a warrior, but the caring eyes of a partner... and mother. They radiated concern and empathy, so much so that Gwin was comforted by their mere presence.

Irina looked back at his windows to his soul. To her, this was no longer the broken Gwin after the Calamity, this was not the Gwin bent on attack after death rained from the sky. This Gwin, this new Gwin, was more bent on defense and protection, which his stern eyes showed. This Gwin was more bent on guardianship, which his worried face expressed. This Gwin was not broken, this Gwin was fixed, he was ready, he was... a father.

A cold wind blew over Oblivia, carrying a chilling frost across the land, and with that a soft sheet of grey clouds that covered the heavens...

* * *

 **SM's Time:**

 **Hope you enjoy this little fluff. Please, have a blessed day!**  
 **Stay tuned for more!**  
 **Please Review!**


	7. Story 6

**Tales of the Last**

 **Story #6 (Also V-Day Special)**

 **What Could Have Been**

 **A/N: Chapter 5 has been edited! It was changed to fit this story!**

* * *

The beep was cold, it was terrible.

A cold wind blew into the small tent they had constructed, a wind of death.

The machine, that messenger, brought up the scans for the third time... A third time.

Gwin looked coldly as the results reappeared, the same as usual, the same bad tiding of pain and suffering that bit into the coldest of days.

Irina looked at disbelief, she didn't want to believe, she wanted for it to not be true. The skeptic inside every human tried its hardest to shut her eyes and heart.

VITAL SIGNS NOT FOUND, read the medical machine, DIAGNOSIS-

The fated words appeared once more, the nail on the coffin...

0000000

Irina stood outside in the snow, covered by a simple coat, protected by a meager garment from the slow flakes of ice that rained from the sky.

"Irina..." Gwin voice called to her, however, he knew she would not respond.

His partner, the vessel of the human race, was as far as anyone was concerned a leaky vessel of doomed voyages.

"Irina... please..." Gwin sighed as he stood next to her, "Please, let's talk about this... It hurts me seeing you like this.."

Irina stood silent as she felt the snowflakes strike her exposed cheeks.

Gwin exhaled deeply, then embraced her...

 **0000000**

The evening was crisp and clear, the white sandy shore was illuminated a nice pumpkin orange by the setting sun.

On the beach, a lone man lay on the orange sand, caressed by the coast and blanketed by the advancing waves.

"Cah! Cah!" the man hoarsely coughed as he gained some air in his lungs, then spit out a foamy amount of seawater into the sand. "What in the world..." he sat up and saw the peaceful coast.

A soft and gentle wind blew on the man's white face, then towards the east.

"I can't believe I survived that..." the man muttered as he looked out into the sea, then sighed and looked up to the twilight sky, "I wonder where I am?" he stood and walked towards the sun.

A quick glance of the beach showed the man it was a generic coastline, sand, sand, and more sand stretched up to where the imagination would allow.

"I need to find someone that could help me." the man continued walking, then started to think, "Perhaps there is a town over there?" he looked to a small bumpy shadow in the distance, "Maybe with boats to take me back home?" he made out the figure of a mast next the bump.

The wind continue to blow, except this time it was fainter, it could barely be felt as it gracefully brushed his skin.

"Depending on where I am, it could take me up to a month to get back home." the man murmured to himself, "But at least I'll be able to see my wife and son again." he chuckled, but then started to feel weak at the chest. This sudden weight pressing on him caused the man to capitulate and sit back down in pain, the grimace on his face appearing for a few moments.

The water reached to his feet, causing a cold sensation to overcome his legs.

"I think I should wait... maybe someone will come around." the man murmured, then sighed and looked to his left, where a sandcastle was standing by a pile of rocks.

This structure caused the man to remember his tours of German castles, since he loved to travel and see the edifices of old. In fact, as he looked at it, this castle looked very much so like such a structure that he even wondered if he was in Germany.

"Hahaha..." the man chuckled, but then pondered deeply, "I hope this is true... I hope I landed back. I could literally just recognize the hill with the oak tree and follow that way back home." he looked around, but only saw sand.

The stars started to appear, the same stars he saw in front of his home were shining in all their glory, stunning the castaway greatly.

"I hope my wife will enjoy this view." the man said and breathed in deeply, though it was kind of forced, "Imagine all the things we would do together... everything..." he felt a big sleep overcome him.

However, the sound of a child's laughter kept him from slumber.

"What?" the man turned around and saw a woman and child, in fact, it seemed he recognized them due to the sudden rise of his eyebrows.

The woman was dirty blond and wearing a large purple sunhat, while the boy had the same brunette he did.

"That's my family right there!" the man exclaimed, "Hey! Elizabeth!" he called out to the woman, "Oliver!" he cried and stood, then ran towards them.

However, the more the man ran closer to them, the more land seemed to generate in between them, as if his mind could not process the new information and repeated the same landscape.

"Elizabeth! Oliver!" the man called to them again, however, they were not bothered and soon walked off beyond his sight. After that, he stopped, and then noticed he had not moved at all, and he had still the same surroundings as before.

It was then were the terrible sleep returned, and brought the man down to the sand...

0000000

"We couldn't save him." a fisherman spoke as he shook the drowned man, "I dun saw 'is ship sink over yonder." he pointed to the sea.

"Shame..." the fisherman's wife shook her head as she saw the coastline littered with debris, this beach was entirely different and rockier than normal, "Looky here, Clive." she picked up the leather napsack next to the man and pulled out a pack of letters. "To Elizabeth..." she read the cover.

"Couldn't have been 'is wife." the fisherman looked at the drowned man's hands, they had no ring on them.

"Oh.. Looky here." the wife sadly said as she pulled out some stained photographs, which included a picture of a sandy coastline, a picture of a large stone castle rising above the forest.

The two living adults looked at the pitiful drowned man and took off their hats in respect.

On the dead man's face, his weak smile drooped down...

 **0000000**

"Irina-"

"Don't call me that..." Irina finally spoke with a hint of agression, "You shouldn't call me Irina anymore."

"Huh-"

"I should be called a Grave." Irina muttered and clenched her fist, "Because that's what my body is..."

"Irina, no." Gwin shook his head, "It's- It's..." he sighed deeply and saw Irina start to weep bitterly.

* * *

 **Please Review and Have a Blessed Day**


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